DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings are having trouble scoring goals, but not quite as tough a time as the New York Rangers, tonight’s opponent (7 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena, Fox Sports Detroit).

The Rangers have scored only 12 goals in eight games and rank 28th in the NHL at 1.50 per game. That’s the main reason they’re off to a 2-6-0 start.

They’re also travel-weary. This will be their ninth consecutive road game to start the season, due to renovations at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers’ home opener is Monday vs. Montreal.

“I watched them (in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Flyers); I really like their (defense), I was very impressed with (Ryan) McDonagh, (Dan) Girardi and (Marc) Staal,’’ Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “They worked hard and had great detail in their game. (Brad Richards) seems to have his game back. They’ve got lots of good players. We need to find a way to play well against them and worry about us and not so much about the Rangers.’’

“You have to have a blue print to know what you’re doing and you have to have the energy to come in and do it each and every day,’’ Babcock said. “We haven’t established a blueprint enough. We don’t have what you can call an identity or whatever you want to call it.

“Through 10 games, you’re 6-3-1 and you think you’re off to not a bad start and then Game 11 comes along and you’re wondering what the heck you’re doing. We have to regroup here today, we have to play harder as a good and better as a group.’’

The Red Wings have dominated the Rangers at Joe Louis Arena, winning six in a row and going 10-1-0 in their past 11 vs. at home. The Red Wings are 17-2-3 in their past 22 home games vs. the Rangers, who last won in Detroit on Jan. 30, 1999 (3-2).

Here are the Red Wings lines and defense pairs for tonight:

Todd Bertuzzi-Pavel Datsyuk-Daniel Alfredsson

Johan Franzen-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Tatar

Daniel Cleary-Stephen Weiss-Justin Abdelkader

Drew Miller-Joakim Andersson-Jordin Tootoo

Niklas Kronwall-Brendan Smith

Kyle Quincey-Danny DeKeyser

Brian Lashoff-Jakub Kindl

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Jonas Gustavsson

Nicklas Lidstrom pays former team a visit

Former Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom stopped by the dressing room to meet with his ex-teammates. On his way to family vacation, Lidstrom said he is happily retired in Sweden.

“I do enjoy it and it’s been fun, especially spending a lot more time with my family and having a chance to be there when the kids have their activities, their hockey and all that,'' Lidstrom said. "So (retirement) has treated me real well.’’